Al Lopez Ghost (old)

Blyleven was on the Score yesterday. Kenny Rogers is a free agent.

If we start Uribe at short, Willie at second and Gload at anywhere, we should shoot off the scoreboard any time we score a run next year.

I've got a buddy who until today was a season ticket holder. He got his letter from the Sox about next year's prices today, and while the Sox did not give all the details you'd like to know, here's what it did say. Starting in 2004 the Sox are designating Friday, Saturday, Sunday and the Cubs series as Premium tickets, for the areas between the bases, at all levels. Yes even the upper deck. The letter did not specify per game cost, just gave him his bottom line. And that went from last year's $2025 to next year's $2520, per seat. They also want a deposit of $500 per seat payed by 12/15. Last year the deposit was $100. Now, they say that there's still a discount that has been applied, so you can't really figure out the cost of a Thursday game vs. a Friday game yet, but overall his average ticket cost is now $31.11 per game, compared to last year's $25. I imagine the premium price is around $40, but that's a guess. Bottom line - 3 season tickets just got unsold today. BTW parking did not go up.

I voted yes, because his salary is too high for our payroll, so you gotta move him. Plus I don't want CLee to be traded, and you probably can't move Konerko. But I will say this. I think we'll all be surprised by how little we receive for him. Not that he's not a valuable player, but the economics will screw up what we can't get for him.

This is what Baseball Prospectus said about Uribe before the season began. "Too thick-headed to be a star? Uribe hasn't taken the time to learn English and it's hindering his progress. He's supporting a huge extended family on his minimum salary, and on the trip to Shea last year he'd bought tickets for dozens of friends and family members, and then spent the series trying to prove he could hit 600 foot homers. He wound up hitting 3 for 20 with no extra base hits. He's fast enough to steal a lot more bases than this. Hurdle stuck by him at first, but started to lose patience by season's end. They're done screwing around with him. They forced him to train all winter and had him report to Denver in January to work on "the mental and physical aspects of the game" with the new coaching staff. Not that anyone noticed but he doubled his walk rate last year. Espy can work with that. Now that Rey Sanchez and Orlando Cabrera have their historic seasons behind them, Uribe's the best fielding shortstop in the National Leage." Last year's Scouting Notebook said in part "The biggest questionn he faces is whether he'll hit enough to play every day. he has a 2 piece swing, bringing his bat back, stopping, and starting over again. He has a problem with breaking balls, which is compounded by the fact he doesn't force pitchers to throw strikes. He is a good bunter...Uribe has spectacular defensive skills. Scouts rate his arm, range and hands near the top of the scale. He reads the ball very well off the bat, but has to concentrate better. All but a handful of his errors come on routine plays, as he tends to get a little lackadaisical." You gotta think Ozzie will help him. I think it's a fine trade, moreso if it frees up Valentin to leave. I figure Jose is gone.

Rex, I was just responding to the notion that Cub fans are better than Sox fans. Obviously there's no way to quantify how many people at Cub games are fans of the baseball team, as opposed to fans of sunshine, beer and babes. I do know this - there's a hell of a lot of buses from Iowa at Wrigley Field, and I suspect they are not there because of the quality of baseball being played. Another small piece of evidence - Murph (Cub fan extraordinare) and Fred will occasionally send a reporter with a tape recorder into the bleachers and ask a random fan questions like - and I am not making this up - who's playing center field for the Cubs. Random fan pops it up, so to speak. So I'm not begrudging them their fun, and I wish my team had their budget, but I won't accept the notion that they are better fans than Sox fans. By the way, I always enjoy your viewpoints.

Rex, I was just responding to the notion that Cub fans are better than Sox fans. Obviously there's no way to quantify how many people at Cub games are fans of the baseball team, as opposed to fans of sunshine, beer and babes. I do know this - there's a hell of a lot of buses from Iowa at Wrigley Field, and I suspect they are not there because of the quality of baseball being played. Another small piece of evidence - Murph (Cub fan extraordinare) and Fred will occasionally send a reporter with a tape recorder into the bleachers and ask a random fan questions like - and I am not making this up - who's playing center field for the Cubs. Random fan pops it up, so to speak. So I'm not begrudging them their fun, and I wish my team had their budget, but I won't accept the notion that they are better fans than Sox fans. By the way, I always enjoy your viewpoints.

You know what Grudz is? He's a grinder! Not that I want him. Plus he's not KW's kind of grinder. He's not cheap.

I am aware they pack the park - we were discussing why. No argument about the results. The Sox theme song next year? The Poor Side of Town.

Now hold on there. At any given Cub game there are 12,000 Cub fans, and 26,000 fans of sunshine, beer and bars in the neighborhood. Don't give me any crap about them being better fans than Sox fans.

As evidenced by what? Our prospects at 2nd base, shortstop, center field, first base, catcher (don't count Olivo, he was a trade)? I don't see it.

SouthSider, I think you're right, although the story isn't exactly clear about that. I can't give a link, cause I don't know how. Sorry.

ProSportDaily.com is reporting that Tom Gordon has signed with the Yankees, a 2 year contract for 7 million dollars, to be their setup man.

Because the White Sox don't look at it like that. They look at Valentin for $5 million total, and Castillo as $22 million total. They don't like $22 million total. Too spendy.

I think "grinder" is Kenny-speak for low-salary, limited-talent, hustlers.

Somebody gotta pitch de ball.

Last I heard Boston was hot for Foulke, who will cost them, what, 6 or 7 million a year. Sometime they gotta run out of money.

Good of you to share your experiences with him, and good luck to you. Here's hoping you have a great year.

I'm no fan of Jon Garland, but I don't think the Sox can afford to trade a rotation guy, plus he just signed an affordable contract.

This just in... The White Sox have acquired Robbie Alomar from the Mets and Carl Everett from the Rangers!

There was also a rumor that KC was talking to him. Bet he wants out of the NL before he sees the scrubs again.

And in the GM business, even batting .500 gets you nowhere.

It never worked.

Do we know for sure that Kenny Williams doesn't think he got Mike Cameron?

Well, Lee has a gold glove, while Konerko and Thomas have...gloves.